Don't Forget To Remember Me
by Periphona
Summary: Byakuya waited so long to find someone who he could love and who loved him back. However, the day has come that he will have to let go of the man who put all the pieces back together.


**A/N** - For many of you who haven't heard yet or for those of you who haven't seen the last episode 366 of 'Bleach', all of the rumors are true. Tite kubo has officially confirmed that the anime has been cancelled and that this is the last anime arc he will write in the manga. Which makes it the last manga, also.

To commemorate the cancellation of our beloved anime, 'Bleach' and the discontinuation of the manga I have decided to take a shot at my first Ichigo fanfic. -Sadness- I'm still crying. What is this madness?

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><p>Byakuya held onto his little berry for dear life. He didn't want to let go of the substitue soul reaper.<p>

"Please, Ichigo," Byakuya's rough voice sighed "Please stay."

The red-headed teenager frowned as he buried himself further into the older mans embrace. Taking in the sweet scent of sakura blossoms that was the Kuchiki noble.

"Byakuya... I love you so much. I don't want to go... but-"

"Then don't go. Stay. Stay here with me. Please... I can't live without you Ichigo."

It was an emotional day to say the least. For everyone, not just Byakuya and Ichigo. It was the end of a era, but the start of an age. The subsitute soul reaper had to return to the material world for good. After defeating Ginjo the subsitute soul reaper had spent a few more weeks working with the Soul Society before they decided to eliminate his temporary employment, forever. The Gotei 13 had repaid they're debt to the orange haired male and now it was time for him to go.

With a grim realization, all of the taichou's and his friends came to understand that they knew this would happen all along. Since the very first day he had been a subsitute soul reaper, since the very time Ukitake-taichou had handed him his battle pass.

After all, nothing good lasts forever.

All of the captains knew the seriousness of the day, that most of them would never see the spunky haired boy again. Until he died of natural causes, of course. However, there was no guarantee that he would find his way out of Rukongai. Byakuya was positive he would. He had to be positive.

Ichigo hated the weight of the goodbye. All of the taichou's sitting around with emotionless faces, as if they didn't care. He hoped they would miss him. Especially his dearest soul reaper friends... Ikkaku, Renji, Yumichika, Matsumoto, Izuru, Rukia, Hisagi, and all the others.

Rukia was sobbing quietly into Renji's chest. He knew saying goodbye to the short-haired violet eyed women would be the hardest. She grasped desperatly at his clothing when he went to pull away from they're hug that would never be long enough.

However, as a shinigami, she had to be prepared for this harsh goodbyes. These goodbyes she wished she never had to do.

Ichigo heard Byakuya's breath become strangled as a crystal tear ran down his cheek.

He himself was having enough trouble not crying.

Hitsugaya-taichou coughed, signaling to everybody else who was standing there that Byakuya needed the last few minutes of Ichigo's departure to himself.

Ukitake-taichou grasped Kyoraku's hand tightly as they both sent a final glance to the orange haired substitue soul reaper before walking away, taking they're leiutenants with them.

"Never stop fighting, kid," Kenpachi threw one last shit-eating grin at the boy-no- the _man_ he had yet to defeat, Yachiru sat perched on his shoulder, her pink hair swaying as the large captain slowly began his trek away from the sad goodbye.

Ikkaku smiled sadly, however, he was not going to cry damnit. He had to be strong. Especially for his black-haired lover who had his face stuffed into his haori. The tears soaking it all the way to his skin. He calmly stroked Yumi's hair as the man quivered when he began to lead him away, following Kenpachi back to the eleventh division barrack's.

Toshiro walked up to the man they were all saying goodbye too, His face serious as ever.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, it was... pleasant to see you grow throughout your time here in the Soul Society. I will, as well as many others, miss your sarcasm and brash ways. I wish you all the best in the human world and hope to see you again soon." His voice didn't waver, as it rarely ever did. He ran a hand through his already touseled white hair as he made his way back over to his lieutenant.

Hitsugaya-taichou, Izuru and Hisagi all had to help haul a very upset Rangiku away. Her precious make-up running down her cheeks.

"I'll miss you, Ichi!" She cried desperately, Hisagi gently stroking her soggy hair back.

Renji slowly approached the clasping couple, Rukia held tightly against him, as he clapped Ichigo on the shoulder for the last time.

"It was nice to get to know ya, Ichi." His strong but quivering voice said as he hauled Rukia up so that he was holding her bridal style as he too began to walk away.

"Hey, Renji!" Ichigo called out to the retreating red-haired male, his voice cracking. "You take care of Rukia, you hear? If I come back to find that she's been hurt, your ass is mine!"

The 6th division lieutenant just smiled sadly as he turned back to leave. "I will, Ichi. I will."

Ichigo, himself, returned the sad smile as the rest of the bunch of people who came to say goodbye made they're way to leave.

Captain Shinji Hirako tried to comfort a grieving Momo as he too spared one last glance at the spiky-haired shinigami before he turned to leave, right behind Kensei-taichou who had to hold fastly onto Mashiro to keep her from hurting anybody with her "Bear hugs".

Rose-taichou smiled brightly at the two as he walked away, Love right behind him. Leaving Byakuya and Ichigo alone at the entrance to the real world.

The sun was setting, creating an omnious but comforting glow over the scene. Ichigo's orange lock's looked even more vibrant in this lighting, Byakuya thought to himself. The only sound among the two was the gentle clicking of the group of retreating tabi on the cement ground. The wind blew softly, rustling Ichigo's shinigami haori.

"Ichigo...," The older man's voice cracked as more tears made their way out of his steel-gray eyes. The droplets of water glimmering against his alabaster skin in the low lighting.

The younger man stepped forward quickly, kissing the tears away from his lovers skin.

It was tragic and unusual to say the least. It was odd that Byakuya-taichou, the man who had been most emotionless when he had announced Ichigos termination was now clutching at him desperately and crying _in public_. A very un-Kuchiki thing to do.

"You must really love me, huh?," Ichigo said softly as he buried his nose in Byakuya's black lock's. His strong arms gently winding around the other man's waist.

"Baka," Byakuya whispered as he tried in vain to keep tears off of his cheeks "I'v always loved you."

The orange haired man hummed as if in thought as he tightened his grip on the noble.

Byakuya sighed, why couldn't things stay like this? Why couldn't he just stay? However, the responsible taichou in him kept telling him that its just the rules and you can't challenge Central 46 or the soutaichou.

"I'm going to miss you so much," Byakuya gasped as he tried to take in air. How had he fallen so low? How had this simply mortal boy come to make him love him so much?

"Hey," Ichigo whispered gently as he buried the other man's face in the crook of his neck, his sword calloused hands rubbing his back in comforting circles. Just like the way he used too when Byakuya kept having those god-awful nightmares.

They stayed like that for a few more minutes, savoring each other's presence for, hopefully, not the last time. But both Ichigo and Byakuya knew the chances were slim.

Ichigo looked at the quickly setting sun and knew that they only had a few more moments left before he had to go. Orihime, Ishida, Chad, and Urahara-san would be waiting for him.

"Byakuya," Ichigo said softly as he began to unraval himself from his lover. "It's time..."

Byakuya gulped as he tried to force that huge knot back down his throat. It hurt. Everywhere. Already and the boy wasn't even gone yet. His chest ached with the anxiety he was feeling.

The portal of entry opened as Ichigo placed one last passionate kiss on his boyfriend's plump pink lip's. Not pulling away until his lung's burned with the need to take in another breath.

"I have to go, koi." Ichigo said sternly. Letting go of Byakuya-taichou completely, which only sent the older man groveling to his knees. His arms wrapped tightly around himself.

"Ichigo," he sobbed "Oh god, Ichigo..."

"Don't worry," The taller male said, trying to make this parting a little less tragic. "I will be with you again, my love. I promise I will find you... But Byakuya, do me one favor... don't forget to remember me."

And so, sensing that the portal would close soon, Ichigo made his way for the darkness. Never looking back, for he was afraid he would start crying as well.

As Ichigo set one leg inside the portal as he heard Byakuya call out to him.

"Ichigo!," He turned back, to see the man standing up slowly, his slim fingers reaching out for him. "Ichigo... I'll always remember you."

The orange haired teen smiled, one tear escaping and rolling down his cheek before he fully engulfed himself in the portal.

Byakuya watched as the giant black circle shrunk until it was no more. He stayed there long after the sun had set, allowing the night air to chill him to the bone until a still very out-of-sorts Renji came to retrieve him later that evening. He struggled but his fukutaichou managed to get him home and in bed.

He laid awake in his sleeping yukata for several days if not weeks. He refused to eat or attend the Gotei 13. He didn't get out of bed for a whole three months.

He told Renji, "There is a whole in my chest... and it's getting deeper everyday. It's pulling me in. One day, I will dissapear because it will have consumed all of me."

He laid in the same outfit, never showering, never listening to anybody. Never eating until he was at the very cusp of starvation.

He stared at the wall for hours on end. _My world will never be the same without him. I might as well be dead. _

He had tried several times to take his own life but to no avail. After that incident, Renji was ordered to stay with him inside of his mansion until he had gotten over his suicidal tendancies. Rukia helped him, as well. But at this point, no one was sure anything could be a more effective method of help other than death.

"Ichigo...," Byakuya moaned at his ceiling. It hurt to even say his name. "Ichigo... I love you and I miss you." The tears began to fall like they did several times a day. "Please... come back to me."

And he waited like that. Everyday, despite his lightheadedness, he would always walk or sometimes crawl to the Kuchiki manor gardens. Waiting for his lover who would never come.

He sat among the lillies and sakura trees. The bitter summer air sweeping through his hair at dawn. Creating ripples across the koi pond. He was alone. Forever alone. Forever waiting.

"Byakuya," a familiar voice said humerously "What are you doing out here? Your going to get sick!"

_Oh great. I'm hearing his voice now. _Byakuya thought to himself as he weakly tried to fix his haori. His hair was tangled and his hair pieces were missing. He wore no sock's or tabi. His clothes were always wrinkled. His face was always red and puffy, with deep purple and blue bags under his eyes.

Just as he thought, the illusionary voice drifted away. He heard a twig snap behind him but he chalked it up to woodland animals.

"Are you going to listen to me or just sit there? God, you look awful."

"Go away," Byakuya's cracked voice said, supposedly to the wind. "Your not real."

"Baka...," the voice whispered as Byakuya felt someone wrap a blanket around his shoulders.

He sniffled and turned around, his eyes widening to the size of saucers. His voice and lungs ceased to work until the figure patted him lightly on the back.

"Wha... What are... How did...," Byakuya mumbled as he hesitantly reached up a hand to stroke the cheek of the figure. Afraid that he really was going insane and that as soon as he touched it he would fade away.

However, his fingers did not automatically pass straight through the illusion proving that it was reality.

"How did...?" Byakuya said again, but this time with more conviction of the situation.

"A car "accident"," Ichigo grinned. His shinigami robes fluttering slightly. "I told you i'd come back."

"Oh Ichigo!," Byakuya said happily as he jumped up and wrapped himself tightly around the other shinigami. "I missed you so much!"

"So I heard." Ichigo chuckled as he took in the scent of his one true love. Even though Ichigo knew he hadn't been taking care of himself, the noble still smelled of sweet sakura petals.

_Uh oh._ "Really?, sooo... what else have you heard?," Byakuya said sheepishly.

"Suicide, Kuchiki? Seriously?"

_This is going to be a long night_.

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><p><strong>AN** - Hope you guys liked it. Please review. I may do more chapters of this later, maybe not. Depends on what I can come up with. But for now, it's a oneshot. REVIEW. Gratzi.


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